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Willa Wu

Hong Kong’s leader has urged Beijing-based businesspeople from the city to spearhead efforts on national integration and foster cultural exchanges between their hometown and the capital.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, who is on a four-day annual duty visit to the capital, held a lunch meeting on Thursday with 15 business representatives, where he also encouraged young Hongkongers in Beijing to embrace unlimited opportunities for personal growth.
He also asked them to help more Beijing companies to list in Hong Kong.
Lee is set to meet President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang on Friday afternoon to report on Hong Kong’s economic, social and political developments.
Business representatives at the lunch were from HSBC, Swire Group, the Bank of East Asia, Beijing MTR Corporation, Douyin Group and Tencent among others, according to a social media post by Lee.
Judith Yu, chairwoman of the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in China (HKCCC), which organised the lunch, said the chief executive had asked them to act as a platform for city companies in Beijing to adapt to the local environment.
“He also asked us to help more Beijing companies to list in Hong Kong and invest overseas using Hong Kong as a stepping stone,” she said.

Yu also said Lee highlighted the “family” concept, saying it was important to promote mutual cultural understanding between Hong Kong and Beijing.
“The chief executive also stressed that for youth, there should be no limits for their personal growth,” Yu added.
She said the representatives, especially from the tech companies, had also raised certain issues with Lee, including whether there were more tax incentives to lure additional talent from the mainland on top of the current admission schemes.
She was referring to the Top Talent Pass Scheme, which the government introduced at the end of 2022, with requirements being placed on academic backgrounds and income.
But Yu said the city leader did not come up with any detailed answers to the requests but noted Hong Kong always welcomed companies from different industries to settle.
In his social media post, Lee highlighted efforts made by Beijing-based chambers to promote cooperation between the capital and Hong Kong in areas such as trade, culture and youth development, including organising seminars and providing information on issues of concern to Hongkongers and enterprises.
“Working together with the Hong Kong government, they bring continuous new business opportunities to Hong Kong, provide opportunities for Hong Kong youth in Beijing to participate in study tours and internships, and organise various activities to unite Hong Kong youth in Beijing,” Lee wrote.
After lunch, Lee attended a closed-door meeting with senior officials from leading Beijing universities to discuss their graduates’ participation in the city’s talent programmes and the progress of Hong Kong students at their institutions.
They included officials from Peking University, Tsinghua University, Remin University, Beijing Normal University, Beihang University and Beijing Institute of Technology.
Lee also expressed his gratitude for the institutions’ continued support for Hong Kong, and hoped for more collaboration between universities on the mainland and in the city.
“[We should] work together to build a talent highland, complement each other’s advantages, and contribute to the construction of a Chinese-style modern country,” he wrote in a social media post published after the meeting.


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John Lee urges Hong Kong firms in Beijing to take lead on integration push

John Lee (standing) meets members of the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in China during his visit to Beijing. Photo: Handout

John Lee (standing) praised the efforts of business chambers at Thursday’s lunch meeting. Photo: Handout

Hong Kong’s John Lee heads to Beijing for duty visit, set to brief Xi Jinping on Friday

President Xi Jinping meets Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu in Beijing in December of last year. Photo: Handout

Xi last year also specifically called for Hong Kong to consolidate its roles as a centre for international finance, maritime and trade. Photo: Jelly Tse

Hong Kong’s John Lee to meet Xi Jinping on Beijing duty visit starting Wednesday

Chief Executive John Lee (left) and President Xi Jinping meet in 2022. Photo: Xinhua

John Lee will be meeting state leaders just a week after he announced a cabinet reshuffle. Photo: May Tse

News

Hong Kong

Politics

Chief Executive John Lee met 15 Hong Kong business representatives during his duty visit to capital


Chief Executive John Lee met 15 Hong Kong business representatives during his duty visit to capital.


John Lee

Hong Kong economy

Xi Jinping

Hong Kong society